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Common School Enolis 



A GRADED SERIES OF LANGUAGE LES- 
SONS, FOR THE USE OF TEACHERS 
OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS. 



BY y 




Head Inspecting Teacher of the Safi Fiancisco Schools; 

AND 

Author of ''Ptij-e English," etc. 






1 



SAN FRANCISCO: 
Samuel Carson & Co., Publishers. 

1887. 



C'Ol'VRIGHT BV 

James G. Kemedy aid Fred. H. Hackett, 

1 887. 



PREFACE. 



A READY and accurate use of English is acquired only by 
actual practice in speaking and writing it. Any method that 
provides for the continuous iise of the language is, consequently, 
a good one. 

To suggest, by a graded series of typical lesso7is, such a 
method is the purpose of this little book. It is submitted, 
therefore, with the hope that it may assist those who desire 
to adopt a more practical plan of teaching English, in pri- 
mary classes. 

All the lessons in the book are based upon a conscientious 
study of the San Francisco schools. To principals and teachers, 
who have kindly aided them in the numerous experimental 
exercises held in the class-rooms, the authors, here, make their 
most grateful acknowledgments. 

San Francisco, Cal., June, iSSy, 



INTRODUCTION. 



The purpose of these exercises is to give teachers 
a simple, well-arranged method of teaching language 
in primary classes. 

Each year's work is given in a separate section, so 
that teachers may know just what to do, at any time 
during the entire course. 

During the first year, or until pupils have learned to 
write, the composition work must, of necessity, be 
mostly oral. Before learning to write, pupils should 
talk compositions, telling, in short, connected sen- 
tences, what they know about any given subject. 
Teachers should place these oral compositions upon the 
blackboard and read them to the class, to show pupils 
what they can do, and thus encourage them to greater 
efforts in story-telling, picture-describing, etc. 

During the second year, or as soon as pupils have 
learned to write, written composition should be added 
to the oral work. This change is easily made after 



vi Introduction. 



pupils have learned to talk in connected sentences. 
Writing is simply talking on paper. 

Pupils should not be allowed to attempt either an 
oral or a written composition until they have a thor- 
ough knowledge of the subject. To develop such a 
knowledge in pupils, teachers should hold familiar 
talks with them upon the different subjects treated. 

A thorough course in social and business forms and 
correspondence has been introduced. Many pupils 
leave school after completing the primary course, and 
it is, therefore, important that they should be instructed 
in these subjects. Besides, it is just as easy to teach 
English through writing letters, as through general 
composition exercises. Teachers should see that pu- 
pils are drilled until they thoroughly understand both 
these subjects. 

No separate lessons are given either in capital let- 
ters or pimctuation. These subjects should be taught, 
incidentally, in connection with the composition work 
as it proceeds. Every lesson in English should in- 
clude the proper use of capital letters and punctua- 
tion marks. 

All exercises should be corrected, during school 
hours, by the pupils, under the supervision of the 



Introduction. vii 



teacher. Pupils will thus be trained intelligently to 
criticise one another's work, and, eventually, their own. 
Nothing is accomplished by the home criticism of 
written exercises. Such criticism is of no benefit to 
pupils. It is simply a waste of time and energy, on 
the part of teachers. What pupils need, is personal 
criticisin frotn teachers. This can be had only in the 
class-room, where the teacher is enabled to give per- 
sonal supervision to the work of the pupils. Again, 
we say, do not correct ivritten exercises at home, but 
have them corrected in the class-room under the super- 
vision of the teacher. 

It must not be imagined, from what is said above, 
that teachers are not to have any home work. There 
is plenty of such work for them aside from the cor- 
rection of written exercises. It consists in the prep- 
aration of the lessons of the coming day, so that 
they may be presented in a simple, objective way to 
the class. This is pleasant work; growing work, by 
which both teacher and pupil are greatly benefited. 



CONTENTS. 
FIRST YEAR AT SCHOOL. 

PAGE. 

General Directions 13 

Lesson I, Statement Making 14 

Lesson II, Conversation on the Cat 17 

Lesson III, Conversation on a Picture — ^''Pussy and the 

Birdr 20 

Lesson IV, Conversation on What Was Seen on the Way 

to School— "77^^ Candy Manr 22 

Lesson V, Conversation on an Object — ■''^Leather''' 25 

Lesson VI, Objects — Data for Conversations on Water, 

Glass, Tea, Milk and Salt 27 

SECOND YEAR AT SCHOOL. 

General Directions 33 

Lesson I, Sentence Making 34 

Lesson II, Filling of Blanks 35 

Lesson III, Dictations, Transposition, Etc 35 

Lesson IV, Combination of Statements into Sentences. . . 36 
Lesson V, Reproduction Exercises — "77?^ Fox and the 

Grapes,"" ^'The Foolish Crow " 38 

Lesson VI, Oral Information — Stigar, Wool, Wheat, Coffee, 

Vinegar 39 

Lesson VII, Written Compositions — ^'■Children at School,'' 

''What I Do at Home,'' ''What I Sa-c on My Way 

to School,''' "7'he Snozv-storm " 42 



X Contents. 

THIRD YEAR AT SCHOOL. 

PAGE. 

General Directions 49 

Lesson I, vSentence Making 50 

Lesson II, Filling of Blanks, Construction and Transposi- 
tion of Sentences 50 

Lesson III, Dictations, Etc 51 

Lesson IV, Combination of Sentences 52 

Lesson V, Specimen Reproduction — "77/^ Foolish Fox^\ . . 53 
Lesson VI, Tales for Reproduction — ^'77ie Dog and His 
Shadow;' ''The Boy and the Wolf;' ''The Cruel Chil- 
dren;' "The Giant Girl's Toy" 55 

Lesson VII, Letter Writing — Friendly Letters 58 

Lesson VIII, Oral Information — Gold, Sheep, Tin, Camels, 

Starch 63 

Lesson IX, Original Descriptions — ''The Fireside,''' "Puss 

and the Bird" 66 

FOURTH YEAR AT SCHOOL. 

General Directions 75 

Lesson I, Subject and Predicate, Etc 76 

Lesson II, Nouns, Identification of 77 

Lesson III, Nouns, Singular and Plural Forms of 78 

Lesson IV, Nouns, Possessive Forms of 80 

Lesson V, Combination of Sentences 81 

Lesson VI, Friendly Letter Writing 82 

Lesson VII, Social Forms — Notes of Invitation, Letters of 

Introduction 84 

Lesson VIII, Business P'orms— Letters of Application, 

Bills, Receipts 85 

Lesson IX, A Series of Business Letters — (i) Opening Bus- 
iness; (2) Credit Established ; (3) Goods Ordered ; (4) 
Advice of Shipment ; (5) Goods Received; (6) Payment 

Acknowledged 87 

Lesson X, Oral Information — Fagles, Elephants, Hevip, 

Lions, Iron 90 

Lesson XI, Reproduction Tales — "The Wonderful Soup 
Pot," "Star Dollars," "Baby's Sail on the Brook," "Self- 
ish Harry," "The JiJischievous Parrot " 94 

Lesson XII, Compositions— ''Cr^-w^^a'^ Darling" 98 



FIRST YEAR AT SCHOOL. 



o~^ 



FIRST YEAR AT SCHOOL, 



The instruction in language, during the first 
year at school, is almost entirely oral. It is 
conducted upon a conversational basis, for the 
purpose of teaching the pupils to talk well, 
rather than to write. 

Pupils are expected to progress from oral, to 
zvritten composition as soon as they have learned 
to write. Teachers, when pupils have learned 
to write, should be careful to p2it upon the black- 
board every nezv word in the exercise, so that 
pupils need not make any mistakes in spelling. 

Have pupils, in the beginning, construct short, 
simple sentences from given words in the reader; 
also from words of their own selection. 

Lead the children to talk daily about familiar 
objects, the subjects of their reading lessons, zvhat 
they see, and zvhat they do. 

Require them always to express their thoughts 
in sentences. Correct all faulty expressions used 
in the class-room. 



14 Common School English. 

Teach that EVERY sentence should begin 

WITH A CAPITAL LETTER ; that EVERY STATE- 
MENT SHOULD END WITH A PERIOD; and that 
EVERY QUESTION SHOULD END WITH A QUES- 
TION MARK. 

Teachers should always remember that their 
fundamental purpose is to AWAKEN AND DE- 
VELOP THE children's POWERS OF OBSERVA- 
TION, THOUGHT, AND EXPRESSION, BY TRAIN- 
ING THEM TO SEE, TO THINK, AND TO TALK. 



LESSON I. 

STATEMENT MAKING. 

The teacher selects two words, for example, 

" fly " and " birds," and writes them thus upon the 

blackboard: 

fly birds 

Teacher— ^\\-dX have I written, children? 

Pupils — Fly and birds. 

T. — What are fly and birds? 

P. — They are words. 

T. — Do they tell anything about birds? 

P. — They do not. 



Statement Making. 15 

T. — Who can say these words so that they 
will tell something about birds? 

P.— Birds fly. 

T. — This [writing on the blackboard] says 
something about birds, or makes a statement 
about birds. You see, children, that this state- 
ment begins with a capital letter, and ends with a 
period. You have told me that birds fly, but 
how would you ask me if the birds fly? 

P.— Do birds fly? Can birds fly? 

T. — That [writing on the blackboard] is cor- 
rect. You see that tJiis qiiestion also begins 
zvith a capital letter, bnt ends ivith a qiiestion 
mark. This [pointing to birds fly] is a very 
short statement. Now, let us see if we can make 
a longer one. Who can make a statement from 
[writing them on the blackboard] these words? 

fly birds high 
P.— Birds fly high. 

T. — Who can change these words aronnd so 
as to make them ask if the birds fly high ? 
P. — Do birds fly high? Can birds fly high? 
7^._Do all birds fly high? 
P.— No. 

T.~No! No zvhat ? 
P. — All birds do not fly high. 



16 Common School English. 

T. — That's a statement. Who can tell me 
that all birds do not fly high, and use [writing 
on the blackboard] these words? 
birds high fly some 

P. — Some birds fly high. 

T. — Who can change this statement into a 
question ? 

P. — Do some birds fly high? Can some 
birds fly high? 

Give similar lessons, using the following 
groups of words: — 

1. bark, dogs. 

2. horses, fast, run. 

3. mice, cats, catch. 

4. swim, ducks. 

5. honey, can, bees, make. 

6. children, study, lessons, their, good. 

7. hat, new, she, a, has. 

8. dolls, play, girls, with. 

9. boys, ball, play, to, like, and, marbles. 

10. Ida, dress, a, sister, gave, her, dear, May, 
blue, silk. 

Continue to give exercises in the construction 
of statements and questions, as here illustrated, 
using words from the reading lessons, through- 
out the year. 



Conversation on the Cat. • 17 

LESSON II. 

CONVERSATION ON THE CAT. 

Teacher — Who can tell me something about 
a cat? 

Pupil — The cat is an animal. 

T. — What kind of an animal? 

P. — It is a tame animal. 

T. — Where does it live? 

P. — ^It lives in houses. 

T. — Has the cat any feet? 

P.— Yes. 

T. — How many? 

P. — Four feet. 

T. — Well, say it all. What has four feet ? 

P. — The cat has four feet. 

T. — What else has it? 

P. — It has whiskers. 

r.— What else? 

P, — It has fur on its back. 

T. — What do we call the fur on the cat's 
back? 

P. — Its coat. 

T. — What kind of a coat ? 

P. — It is a coat of fur. 

T. — Then, we will call it a furry coat. Of 
what is it made ? 
2 



18 ' Coi\[MON School Engtjrh. 

P. — It is made of hair. 

T. — Then, what can we say of the cat's 
coat ? 

P. — It has a furry coat of hair. 

T. — Are all cats of the sanne color ? 

P. — Some cats are white and some are black. 

T. — Does the cat make any noise when it 
steps? 

P. — It does not. 

T. — How does it step, then ? 

P. — The cat steps very softly. 

T. — What kind of claws has it ? 

P. — The cat has sharp claws, which it can 
pull in, or push out of its paws. 

T. — What can the cat do ? 

P. — It can scratch. 

r.— What else ? 

P. — It can climb. 

r.— What else ? 

P. — It can jump. 

T. — Now, what can you say of the cat? 

P. — The cat can scratch, climb, and jump. 

T. — Of what good is it ? 

P. — It is good for catching rats and mice. 

T. — What do we call little cats? 

P. — Little cats are called kittens 



Conversation on the Cat. 19 

T. — Are they of any use? 

P. — They are pets. 

T'.^What kind of pets? 

P. — Kittens are playful pets. 

T. — Who likes to play with kittens? 

Pupils — I do. We do. Boys and girls do. 

After the facts have been thus developed, by 
a conversational lesson, individual pupils should 
be required to tell, in simple, connected sentences, 
all they know about the cat. 

Following is the result of the lesson : 

THE CAT. 

The cat is a tame animal. It lives in houses. 
The cat has four feet. It has whiskers and a 
furry coat of hair. Some cats are white and 
some are black. The cat steps very softly. It 
has sharp claws, which it can pull in, or push 
out of its paws. The cat can scratch, chmb, 
and jump. It is good for catching rats and 
mice. Little cats are called kittens. They are 
playful pets for boys and girls. 

Teachers should prepare themselves, and, in 
similar conversational lessons, develop some 
familiar facts about the dog, the hen, the cow, 
the horse, and such other common animals as 
their time will warrant. 



20 Common School English. 

LESSON III. 

CONVERSATION ON A PICTURE. 

Teacher — Who can give me a name for 
[showing- to the class] this picture ? 

Pupils — The Two Pets. The Bird Catcher. 
Pussy and the Bird. 

T. — Pussy and the Bird will do. Now, look 
at the picture and tell me what you see ? 

P. — I see a girl. I see a cat. I see a cage. 

T. — By what name shall we call the girl ? 

P. — Call the girl Dolly. Her name is Ida 
Her name is Nellie. 

T. — Doliy will do. Give me a name for the 
cat. 

P. — The cat's name is Pinkie. The cat's 
name is Tabby. 

T. — We will take Tabby, but we must also 
have a name for the bird. 

P. — The bird is named Tom. The bird's 
name is Will. The bird's name is Dick. 

T. — We will call the girl, Dolly ; the cat, 
Tabby; and the bird, Dick. Look again and 
tell me what they are doing. 

P. — Dick is in the cage. Tabby is climbing 
up Dolly's dress trying to get him. 



Conversation on a Picture. 21 

T. — How is Dolly dressed ? 

P. — She has on a blue, silk dress, with short 
sleeves, a red sash, red stockings and black slip- 
p rs. 

T. — What else can you say about her ? 

P. — She has long, curly hair and rosy checks. 

T. — Hasn't she something in her hands } 

P. — Dolly is holding a bird-cage in her hands, 
very high, and is smiling at Tabby. 

T.' — You've not told me much about Dick. 

P. — Dick is a canary bird. He is flying 
around in his cage and looks scared. 

T. — What about the cat ? 

P. — Tabby is standing on her hind legs, try- 
ing to get at Dick. She looks like a Maltese 
cat. 

T. — What will Tabby do to Dick if she gets 
him ? 

P. — She will kill him. She will eat him. 

T. — That would be. too bad, but I don't think 
Dolly will let Tabby get Dick. 

When the conversation is concluded, the 
teacher, after reading them, should erase the 
responses, which have been written on the black- 
board, and call upon individuals in the class for 



22 Common School English. 

oral descriptions. Following is a specimen of 
what may be expected, near the end of the year : 

PUSSY AND THE BIRD. 

Dolly, Tabby and Dick are out on the grass. 
Dolly has a cage in her hands. Tabby is trying 
to get Dick. Dick is very much afraid. Dolly 
has curly hair and rosy cheeks. She has on a 
silk dress and a red sash around her waist. 
Dick is a canary bird. Tabby is a Maltese cat. 
Dolly has red stockings and black slippers. 

MoRTiE Meyer, 

Emerson Primary School, San Francisco, Cal. 

Give like lessons with other pictures. Colored 
pictures are preferable. 



LESSON IV. 

CONVERSATION ON WHAT WAS SEEN ON THE 
WAY TO SCHOOL. 

Following is the result of a conversational 
lesson, with pupils, about what they had seen on 
their way to school. The facts were developed, 
as illustrated in the preceding lessons; the 
teacher's questions being intended to suggest 
merely a logical arrangement of ideas: 



^. . *^ 




PUSSY AND THE BIRD. 



Objects. 25 

the candy man. 

I saw an old man, this morning, at the school 
gate. He tries to make all the money he can, 
by selling can iy. His clothes were very shabby. 
He sits on the steps every morning, with his 
basket on his lap. He is lame and walks with a 
cane. I said: " Good-morning," and he bowed 
his head. He is very poor and has to sell candy 
for a living. When I see him, it always makes 
me feel sad. He had some chocolate creams, 
some peppermint drops, and some chocolate 
sticks in the basket. I bought two long sticks 
of chocolate and gave my sister one. The 
candy was very sweet and nice. Sometimes, 
children eat too much candy and get sick. 

These lessons may be repeated, at any time, 
and will always give original results. Require 
pupils, in like manner, to talk about what they 
do at home. 



LESSON V. 

CONVERSATION ON AN OBJECT. 
Teacher — What's this I hold in my hand ? 
Pupils — It is a piece of leather. 
T. — From what is it made ? 
P. — It is made from the skins of animals. 



26 Common Schoot. English. 



T. — Give me another word for skins. 

P. — Leather is made from the hides of ani- 
mals. 

T. — What animals ? 

P. — Cows, Sheep. Goats. Oxen. 

T. — TJien zvJiy don t yon say so? 

P. — Leather is made from the hides of cows, 
sheep, oxen and goats. 

T. — (writing the statement on the black- 
board) How is it made? 

P. — They scrape the hair off the hides with 
a sharp knife. 

T. — They ! Who are they ? 

P. — Men scrape the hair off the hides with a 
sharp knife. 

T. — (writing) What next? 

P. — They soak them in bark water. 

r.— Well? 

P. — They lay them in the sun to dry. 

T. — ]V/io can put these last tzvo statements 
into one ? 

P. — Then, they soak them in bark water and 
lay them in the sun to dry. 

T. — (writing) What do we call the hides, 
when the men are through with them ? 

P. — The hides are then called leather. 

T. — (writing) For what is leather used ? 



Objects. 27 

P. — It is used for making boots and shoes 
and for binding books. 

T. — (writing) Now, let us read what you 
have told me about [writing the title] 

LEATHER. 

L eather is made from the hides of cows, sheep 
oxen and goats. Men scrape the hair off the 
hides with a sharp knife. Then, they soak them 
in bark water and lay them in the sun to dry 
The hides are then called leather. It is used for 
making boots and shoes, and for binding books. 



LESSON VI. 

OBJBCTvS. 

Embody, in conversational lessons, the follow 
ing information about water, glass, tea, milk 
and salt. Then, have pupils talk compositions, 
by telling all they have learned about each 
object. 

WATER. 

The people in this world could not live with- 
out water. We drink it when we are thirsty 
and bathe in it when we wish to be clean. Rain 
water comes from the clouds. The water in the 



28 Common School English. 

sea is salt. There is three times as much water 
as land upon the earth. Pure water is clear and 
colorless. When we travel, we often sail upon 
the water in ships and steamers. From boiling 
water, we get steam, which makes the cars on the 
railroads go so fast. We, also, use water to make 
tea and coffee, and to cook meats and vegetables. 
Water makes things grow that are planted in 
the earth. It puts out fires. When the weather 
is very cold, water freezes. Then, it is called 
ice. 

GLASS. 

Glass is hard, clear and smooth. It is easily 
broken. Glass is used in making windows, 
dishes, bottles, vases, etc. It is a great con- 
ductor of heat. The glass used in spectacles is 
called magnifying glass and makes things look 
larger to us than they would if seen without the 
glass. By looking through the telescope, we see 
and learn much about the stars and moon. 

TEA. 

The tea plant will grow in both warm and 
cold countries. The leaves are gathered, dried 
in the sun, and then moistened by steam. They 
are next laid upon metal plates and exposed to 
considerable heat. The best tea is grown in 



O 15 J E c 'r s . 29 

China and Japan. The plant will not give a 
crop of tea until it is three years old. When it 
has lived thirty years, the plant dies. The peo- 
ple of Europe and America have been using tea 
about two hundred years, but it was in use long 
before that among the Chinese and Japanese. 
We have black tea and green tea. When 
steeped in water, tea makes an excellent drink. 

MILK. 

Milk is a white, sweet and wholesome liquid 
We get it from cows, goats and camels. The 
milk of cows is generally used by us. Very 
rich and thick milk is called cream. We cannot 
see through milk, as we can through water 
because water is clear, but milk is not. From 
milk, we make butter and cheese. We, also, use 
milk in our tea and coffee and in cooking. 
Most children like to drink milk. 

SALT. 

Salt is a white, sparkling substance. It comes 
from wells, springs, the sea and mines in the 
earth. We put salt on our meats and vegetables 
to make them taste better. Salt will, also, keep 
meats and fish from spoiling. The sea contains 
a great deal of salt. Salt water will not freeze 
so soon as fresh water. 



evd 



kk 






,_^ 



SECOND YEAR AT SCHOOL. 



■\s) <- 



b ^'^ " 



& 



'-^'^ 



SECOND YEAR AT SCHOOL 



The method of instruction, be^run in the first 
year, is continued upon a sHghtly advanced 
scale in the second year. 

Pupils are now traiyied to zvrite, as well as to 
talk, and io use correctly, in simple sentences, capi- 
tal letters, periods, question marks, excla^nation 
points and apostrophes. 

Give exercises in the writing of paragraphs, 
from dictation, and the filling of blanks, in sen- 
tences, with suitable words. Let pupils fre- 
quently copy their reading lessons. 

Drill the children in the oral and ivritten 
reproduction of short stories. Require them to 
construct original statements, questions and excla- 
mations. 

Teach the combination of tzvo a?id three inde- 
pende7it statements into a single sentence, and con- 
tinue this exercise throughout the year. 

Facts about objects are developed by conver- 



34 Common School English. 

sational lessons (as illustrated in the lessons of 
the First Year at School) before calling upon 
individuals in the class, for connected statements. 



LESSON I. 

SENTENCE MAKING. 
Require pupils to construct sentences, em- 
bodying the words in each of the following 
groups: 

1. slate, pencil. 

2. laughs, plays. 

3. hat, wind. May's. 

4. sheep, field, flock. 

5. bloom, garden, flowers. 

6. winter, cold, ice, skate. 

7. pulled, boy, water, dog. 

8. James, ball, Tom, marbles. 

9. lessons, every, school, goes, Ella. 

10. Christmas, Santa Claus, gives, presents, 
children. 

Continue this exercise throughout the year. 



Dictations, Transposition, Etc. 35 

LESSON II. 

FIIvIvING OF BLANKS. 

Fill the following blanks with suitable words: 

1. Nell has a . 

2. Frank to school. 

3. Lucy has a doll. 

4. Sugar sweet. 

5. She wore a dress. 

6. pl^y ball. 

7. The bee makes honey. 

8. Harry in the wagon. 

9. The can swim. 

10. Girls rope. 

Give, frequently, similar exercises. 



LESSON III. 

DICTATIONS, TRANSPOSITION, ETC. 

Give frequent dictations, like the following : 

Tom was a good, little boy. He lived in 

Boston. He went to school on week days and 

to church on Sundays. Christmas eve, he hung 

up his stocking, hoping to get a present from 



o(j Common School English. 

Santa Claus. When he got up the next morn- 
ing, he looked in his stocking and there found 
a fine knife, a ball and a book. 

Have pupils write original statements, ques- 
tions and exclamatory sentences; also change 
statements into questions and questions i?tto state- 
merits. 



LESSON IV. 

COMBINATION OF STATEMENTS INTO SEN- 
TENCES. 

Teacher — Ida, make a statement about a doll. 

Ida — The doll is pretty. 

T. — Nellie, you make another statement 
about the doll. 

Nellie — It has on a white hat. 

T. — Who can put these two statements into 
one? 

Flora — The doll is pretty and it has on a 
white hat. 

T. — Who can make a shorter statement? 

May — (after considerable hesitancy) The 
pretty doll has on a white hat. 

T. — That's better [writing on the black- 
board]: 



Combination of Statements. 37 

Ella has a doll. 

It is a bisque doll. 

The doll is dressed in blue. 

Who can make one statement out of these 
three ? 

/. — ^Ella has a doll, and it is a bisque doll^ 
and it is dressed in blue. 

T. — Oh! you have too many "and's" and 
"it's!" 

M. — Ella has a bisque doll and it is dressed 
in blue. 

T. — Who can make the statement and not 
use either "and" or ''it" ? 

TV. — Ella has a bisque doll dressed in blue. 

T. — That's well done. 

Combine the following independent state- 
ments into sentences : 

1. The house is large. 

2. \\. is painted white. 

1. The boy is idle. 

2. He is lazy. 

1. The house is on the hill. 

2. It is little. 

3. It is brown. 

I. The boy ran away from school. 



)8 CoMJsroN School English. 

2. He was a bad boy. 

3. He was a stupid boy. 

1. The hills are covered with snow. 

2. They are JiigJi. 

3. The hills are steep. 

Continue this exercise throughout the vear. 



LESSON V. 

REPRODUCTION EXERCISES. 

Tell, or read short stories, like the following, 
and have them reproduced by pupils, using their 
own language : 

THE FOX AND THE GRAPES. 

A thirsty fox, one warm day, saw a bunch of 
fine grapes hanging from a vine at the top of a 
pole. " What a nice dinner I might have if I 
could only get those grapes," thought the fox. 
So he jumped up at them again and again, but, 
finding, at last, that he could not reach the 
grapes, he went away thinking to himself that 
he would not eat them, even if they were lying 
on the ground, because they were so sour. 



Oral Ifornmation. 30 

the foolish crow. 

A crow once stole a piece of cheese from the 
window of a cottage, and, taking it in her bill, 
flew away to the top of a tree. A fox saw the 
crow and thought that he should like to get the 
cheese. So, he said to her : " Oh! Mrs. Crow, 
how beautiful you are! I have never heard you 
sing, but if your voice is as beautiful as your 
feathers are, it must, indeed, be charming." The 
crow, very much pleased, opened her mouth to 
sing and the cheese fell to the ground. The 
sly fox quickly picked it up and ran away, 
thinking how smart he was and how foolish 
was the crow. 



LESSON VI. 

ORAL INFORMATION. 

Embody, in conversational lessons, the fol- 
lowing information about sugar, wool, wheat, 
coffee and vinegar. Then, direct pupils to write 
compositions upon each of these subjects, tell- 
ing what they have learned about them: 



40 Common School En(;lish. 



SUGAR. 

Sugar is a sweet, vegetable substance, that 
comes mostly from the sugar-cane. When ripe, 
the cane, or stem, is taken to the mill, where the 
juice is extracted from it and boiled and strained 
repeatedly. Finally, the sugar cools, and, sep- 
arating from the molasses, forms into grains 
The raw sugar, as it is then called, is afterwards 
refined, or purified. Sugar will dissolve in 
water. White and brown are the common col- 
ors of sugar. We have cube sugar and crushed 
sugar. In making candies, pies, cakes, jellies, 
jams, etc., sugar is largely used. 

WOOL. 

Wool is the covering of sheep. In the sum- 
mer, it is sheared, or cut, from the living sheep. 
It is then called the fleece. After the raw wool, 
which is very soft and warm, has been picked, 
assorted and cleaned, it is combed, carded and 
spun into yarn and worsted. The combing, 
carding and spinning are done by machinery. 
Blankets, flannels, carpets and different kinds 
of clothing are manufactured from wool. Where 
carded wool is used, the goods are called wool- 
ens; where combed wool is used, the goods are 
called worsteds. 



Oral Information. 41 

WHEAT. 

Wheat is a very valuable grain. Farmers 
sow their land with wheat, and, when it has 
grown quite high, and has become ripe, mow, 
or cut it down. The wheat is then threshed and 
the grain separated from the chaff, or winnowed. 
Next, the wheat is sent to the mill and ground 
into fine, white flour, which we make into bread. 
The United States produces more wheat than 
any other country in the world. Wheat is 
used by a greater number of people than any 
other grain except rice. 

COFFEE. 

The coffee tree grows in warm countries. 
When ripe, the beans, or coffee berries, are gath- 
ered from the trees and placed on mats, in the 
sun, to dry. When the tree is three years old, it 
gives a crop of about a pound of coffee beans. 
To make coffee for the table, we roast and grind 
the beans and mix the powder with boiling 
water. Mocha is the best coffee. Coffee is a 
refreshing drink, but if we drink it too strong, 
it is likely to make us nervous and keep us 
awake. 

VINEGAR. 

Vinegar is an orange- brown, acid liquid, used 



42 Common School English. 

for flavoring food, pickling, and sometimes as 
medicine. The best vinegar is made from wine 
It is also made from cider. If we use too much 
vinegar, it will make us thin and dyspeptic. 
Vinegar is very useful and may be seen upon 
all dining tables. 



LESSON VII. 

WRITTKN COMPOSITIONS. 

Develop, through conversational lessons, 
(First Year at School) compositions upon the 
camel, the lion, the elephant, the canary bird 
and the rose; also, written descriptions of pict- 
ures, etc. 

Papers, like the following, may be expected 
toward the close of the year: 

CHILDREN AT SCHOOL. 

These children are at school. One of them 
has an apple and is dividing it with another 
girl. She is a good girl. There are six girls in 
the school-room. It is recess and the children 
are at play. They like to learn as well as play. 
All have on clean, white aprons. There are Lulu, 
Jennie, Rubie, Pearl and Mabel. Little May is 




CHILDREN AT SCHOOL, 



Written Composition. 45 



peeping through the door. Ruble and Pearl 
have on bronze slippers. The others have shoes. 
Lulu has long, golden hair and the rest have 
light-brown hair. The teacher's name is Miss 
Piatt. Eva Dold, 

Lincoln Primary School, San Francisco, Cal. 

The next two compositions are evidence of 
what children can do, during their second year 
at school: 

WHAT I DO AT HOME. 

At home, I help my mother. I sweep the 
porch, wipe the dishes, clean the silver and do 
many other things that little children can do to 
help their parents. I also practice on the piano. 
I generally practice two hours a day. I have a 
swing and a doll. I have nice hats and hoods 
for her. I have a doll's checked quilt that I sew 
on sometimes. My teacher at school is very 
kind to us all. ESTELLE WEISHEIMER, 

Lincoln Primary School, San Francisco, Cal. 

WHAT I SAW ON MY WAY TO SCHOOL. 

One day, as I was coming to school, I met a 
lame man. He was very shabbily dressed. He 
was so very lame that he looked as if he was going 
to fall down. Where I saw this man was at the 
corner of Fifth and Howard Streets. As he 
went to go across the street, he fell down and 
two or three men ran to pick him up. I heard 
him say that he had suffered a great deal with 



46. Common School ENciLisri. 

his legs, yet, he had to suffer still more. After 
the man was up, he went into a grocery store 
and sat down for a little while. An express 
wagon came and took him away. I also saw a 
lady coming out of a car with a small baby in 
her arms. She was a careless mother. She let 
her child fall on the car track and nearly killed 
it. Martha Gray, 

Lincoln Primary School^ San Francisco^ Cal. 

Following is a specimen paper, by the same 
writer, based upon what she had seen and ob- 
served: 

THE SNOW-STORM. 

The snow, in San Francisco, fell on Saturday 
morning at 2 o'clock and ended late in the 
afternoon. The boys threw snow-balls all day 
long. We have not had snow in San Francisco 
for years, until last Saturday. The snow looked 
very beautiful on the hills and trees. The 
Chmamen dared not come out, for they were 
afraid of getting hurt with snow-balls. I saw a 
Chinaman running as fast as he could and about 
twelve boys running after him. The snow falls 
very often in the Eastern States, but, it is not 
common in San Francisco. 

Martha Gray, 

Lincoln Primary School, San Frajicisco, Cal. 

Require occasional, original papers upon sim- 
ilar topics. 



i 






THIRD YEAR AT SCHOOL. 




t 



THIRD YEAR AT SCHOOL 



Teach, during the third year at school, the 
simple uses, in sentences, of quotation marks, 
capital letters, the period, the question mark, the 
exclamation point and the apostrophe. 

Continue the exercises, in the construction of 
sentences, the filling of blanks, dictations, the 
reproduction of stories, the copying of reading 
lessons and the combination of independent 
statements into sentences. In conversational 
lessons, give information about animals and ob- 
jects. 

Letter zvriting is introduced, principally, for 
the purpose of teaching pupils the forms of 
beginning, ending and addressing friendly let- 
ters. 

Develop, through conversational lessons, pict- 
ures and objects, compositions upon the do- 
mestic animals, etc. 
4 



50 Common School English. 

LESSON I. 

SKNTENCB MAKING. 

Direct pupils to incorporate, in original sen- 
tences, the words in the following groups: 

1. answer, lad. 

2. probably, teacher, punish. 

3. gentleman, surprised. 

4. city, live, people, country. 

5. wicked, lie, quarrel. 

6. industry, virtues, honesty, respected. 

7. horse, man, useful, sheep, animals. 

8. rescued, dog, drowning, girl, river. 

9. farmers, earth, miners, cultivate, gold, 
land. 

10. letter, New York, James, vacation, cousin, 
Frank. 



LESSON II. 

FIIvLING OF BIvANKvS, CONSTRUCTION AND 
TRANSPOSITION OF SENTENCES. 

Fill with appropriate words the following 
blanks : 

I. The rose is a and flower. 



Dictations, Etc. 51 

2. Lions and are wild and an- 
imals. 

3. Charles is a smart boy. 

4. Ducks can easily the water. 

5. He is the boy was promoted. 

6. The sun is shining . 

7. This is the book he read. 

8. children obey their parents. 

9. James and Henry home? 

10. It was who wrote the letter. 

Have pupils write original sentences ; change 
statements into questions and questions into 
statements. 



LESSON III. 

DICTATIONS, ETC. 

Give frequent dictations, like the following : 
A cat, hearing that the birds in a neighbor's 
house were sick, dressed himself like a doctor, 
and, taking with him his cane and medicines, 
went to the house, knocked at the door and 
asked how all the birds did, saying that if they 
were ill, he would be happy to give them some 
medicine and cure them. The birds answered: 



52 Common School English. 

" We are all very well and shall continue so, if 
you will only go away and leave us as we are." 
Require the pupils to copy correctly lessons 
from their readers. 



LESSON IV. 

COMBINATION OF SENTENCES. 

Combine into sentences (Second Year at 
School) the following independent statements : 

1. The boys skated. 

2. It was in the winter. 

3. They skated on the lake. 

1. Amy wrote a letter. 

2. She wrote to Jier mamma. 

3. It was a nice letter. 

4. It was a long letter. 

1. Eva can draw. 

2. She studies history. 

3. She studies music. 

4. She studies geography. 

1. Gold was discovered. 

2. It was discovered in California. 

3. It was discovered in January. 



Specimen Reproduction. 53 

4. It was discovered in 18^8. 

5. It was discovered by James IV. Afars/ia//. 

1. The man was working. 

2. He was in tJie garden. 

3. He had a spade in his hand. 

4. He woje a strazu hat. 

5. He zvas dressed in black. 

Continue this exercise throughout the 3^ear. 



LESSON V. 

SPBCIMKN REPRODUCTION. 

Read short selections, like the following, and 
have them reproduced by pupils in their own 
language : 

THE FOX AND THE HEN. 

A hungry fox, one day, while looking for 
something to eat, spied a hen at the foot of a 
tree, scratching in the earth for worms. 

Upon the tree there hung a drum, which 
would make a noise whenever the wind blew 
the branches against it. 

The fox was about to seize the hen when the 
drum beat. *' Oh, oh! " said he, '' are you there? 



54 Common School English. 

I will be with you soon. Surely, you must have 
more flesh upon you than a lean hen." So say- 
ing-, he climbed up the tree, and the hen, in the 
meantime, made her escape. 

When the fox had torn off the head of the 
drum and found that it was empty, he sighed 
and said: " Unlucky wretch that I am! What 
a nice hen I have lost in trying to get a better 
meal ! " 

Following is a specimen reproduction, as 
written by a third year boy : 

THE FOOLISH FOX. 

One day, a hungry fox saw a hen, by a tree» 
scratching and hunting for worms. 

On the branches of the tree hung a drum, and, 
when the wind blew, the drum would beat. 

The fox was just going to grab the hen, when 
the drum made a noise. " Oh ! " said the fox, 
"I will have you too!" So he climbed up the 
tree and got the drum. The hen, seeing a 
chance, ran off as fast as she could. 

The fox tore off the top of the drum and was 
much disappointed to find it empty. 

Eddie Brien, 

Lincoln GraDiinar School, San Francisco, Cal. 



Tales for Reproduction. 55 

LESSON VI. 

TALES FOR RKPRODUCTION. 

Use the following tales for similar reproduc- 
tion exercises: 

THE DOG AND HIS SHADOW. 

A big dog, with a piece of meat in his mouth, 
was one day crossing a bridge over a river, when 
he saw his shadow in the water. He thought that 
it was another dog, with a larger piece of meat. 
So, he dropped his own meat and flew at the 
shadow thinking, thus, to get the larger piece. 
But, the greedy dog made a sad mistake. The 
piece of meat he dropped was swept away by 
the current; while, that which he saw in the 
water, was only a shadow and could not be eaten. 
The dog then saw that he had lost his own meat 
and got nothing in place of it. 

THE BOY AND THE WOLF. 

A boy, who watched a flock of sheep near a 
village, was in the habit of alarming the people 
by calling out: "Wolf! Wolf!" When the 
men came to his aid, the boy would laugh at 
them for their trouble, because there was no wolf 
to be seen. But, at last, the wolf truly did come. 



56 Common School English. 

Then, the boy was very much frightened and 
shouted at the top of his voice : " Come ! Help ! 
The wolf is killing the sheep ! " But the villagers 
had been fooled so often by him that no one 
took any notice of his cries, or went near him. 
The wolf killed nearly all the sheep. Then, the 
lying shepherd-boy was very sorry that he had 
not always spoken the truth. But, liars are not 
believed even when they do speak the truth. 

THE CRUEL CHILDREN. 

A very old man once lived with his son and 
daughter-in-law. The old man was deaf and 
almost blind. When eating his dinner, he often 
spilled his soup over the table cloth. His 
children were so angry at this, that they made 
him sit in a corner behind the stove, where they 
gave him his meals in a wooden bowl. Neither 
did the poor, old man get enough to eat. He 
was, accordingly, very sad and his eyes would 
often fill with tears. His little grandson, a child 
only five years of age, was busy one day put- 
ting together some pieces of wood. His grandpa 
asked him what he was making. " I am mak- 
ing a wooden trough for papa and mamma to 
eat out of when I have grown to be a man," the 
boy answered. At these words, the man and 



Tales for Reproduction. 57 



his wife looked at each other and were much 
ashamed of their cruel conduct toward the old 
man. Grandpa was given back his old seat at 
the table and his children, in future, did not say 
anything when he spilled his soup upon the 
table cloth. 

THE GIANT GIRL's TOY. 

At the top of a high mountain, was once an 
old castle, which for many, long years had been 
the home of a giant. He had an only child. 
She was a girl eight years old, but fifty times as 
big and strong as any of the girls in the world 
to-day. Her name was Trixie. She did not 
have any dolls to play with, but she was very 
fond of sport. So, one day, she came down 
from the mountain, into the valley below, to look 
for a toy. She soon saw a farmer, with two 
horses, plowing the ground in a wheat field- 
Kneeling down, she spread out her apron and 
swept into it the man, the horses and the plow. 
Then, she ran back to the castle and put them 
all upon the table. " Oh ! papa," said Trixie, 
"see what a pretty plaything I have found down 
in the valley ! " and she clapped her hands and 
laughed and danced with delight. But the giant 
looked serious and answered: "That is not a 



58 Common School English. 

toy, my child. If the farmer did not cultivate 
the land, we should soon die of hunger. So, you 
must take the little creature carefully back to 
the field where you found him." Trixie cried 
for a while and then did as she was told. 



LESSON VII. 

IvBTTKR WRITING. 

Teach pupils how to write friendly letters. 
Every letter may be divided into the following 
parts: 

1. The /leadings showing when and where the 
letter is written; as, San Jose, Cal., May i, 1887. 

2. The salutation^ which varies according to 
the relations existing between the writer and 
the person addressed; as, Sir, Madam, Dear Sir, 
Dear Madam, Friend Carlton, Dear Friend, My 
dear Friend, Dear James, My dear James, My 
dear Mother, Dear Brother, Dear Sister Lizzie, 
etc. 

3. The body of tJie letter, comprising all that 
is contained between the salutation and the 
subscription. 

4. The subscription; as. Yours, Yours truly, 



Letter Writing. 



59 



Yours respectfully, Yours faithfully, Yours sin- 
cerely, Truly yours, Respectfully, Most respect- 
fully yours, Sincerely yours, Very truly yours. 
Your sincere friend. Yours as ever, Affection- 
ately yours, Your dutiful son. Your loving 
daughter, etc. The form varies, as in the salu- 
tation, according to the relation of the parties- 

5. The signature or name of the zuriter. 

6. The address, comprising the name and res- 
idence of the person to whom the letter is 
written, like the superscription on the envelope. 

It is customary to write the address at the 
close of friendly letters, but, in busijtess letters, it 
is written directly after the heading. 

Mr., Mrs., Master and Miss, are the titles in 
common use, in addressing the envelope; as, in 
the follovvinf^ models : 



[Superscription. 



STAMP. 



Miss Ada L. Starr, 
426 Fifth Avenue, 

J^eiv York City, JV. Y. 



(lO Common School English. 



STAMP. 



C Pi dries F. (Rollins ^ 
T. 0. d'jox 84; 



San Francisco^ Cal, 



STAMP. 



Mr. F. H. Mitchell, 
'Tetalunia , 



Sonoma Co.^ Cal. 



STAMP 



Mrs. Ida (R. Jackson, 
246 State Street; 



(Boston^ Mass. 



Letter Writing. 61 



STAMP. 



Master Willie S. (Pond^ 
Virginia City, 

^Nevada 



Military men should be addressed as Lieu- 
tenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, General, etc., 
according to their rank. 

The titles Reverend, Reverend Doctor and 
Right Reverend are applied to the clergy. 

Dr. and M. D. are the titles given to medical 
men. 

Professor is the title commonly given to 
heads of departments in colleges, universities, 
etc. 

Hon. is the title applied to Mayors of cities, 
Judges, Congressmen, State Senators, etc. 

Pay special attention to the spacing, para- 
graphing, punctuating and forms of beginning, 
ending and addressing letters; as illustrated in 
the accompanying models: 



62 Common School English. 

[i. Heading.] 

San Francisco, Cal., May 6, 1887. 

[2. Salutation.] 

Dear Nellie : 

1 3. Body.] 

Mother said that I could write and invite you 
to spend your vacation with me. 

Do you think you can come ? I hope so. 
What fun we shall have when you arrive ! 

I will take you to Golden Gate Park, Wood- 
ward's Gardens, the Presidio and the Cliff 
House. In the evenings, we can go to the 
theaters and give parties. I will do all I can to 
make it pleasant for you. 

Be sure to come. I will meet you at the 
depot. 

[4. Subscription.] 

Yours affectionately, 

[5. Signature.] 

Helen. 

[6. Address.] 

Miss Nellie Loiv, Carson City, Nevada. 

\i. Heading.] 

Carson City, Ncv., May 12, 1887. 

[2. Salutation.] 

My dear Helen : 

[3- Body.] 

I received your kind letter inviting me to 
visit you and was delighted when mamma said 
I might go and stay a week with you. 

I have never been in San Francisco, but have 



Oral Information. 63 

heard much about it and shall be glad to see it. 
You may expect me next Monday. Papa 
has to go to the city on business and will take 
me with him. I remain, with much love, 

[4. Subscription.] 

Your sincere friend, 

[5. Signature.] 

Emma. 

[6. Address.] 

Miss Helen Martin, San Francisco, Cat. 



LESSON VIII. 

ORAIv INFORMATION. 

In conversational lessons, give the following 
information about gold, sheep, tin, camels and 
starch. Then, have pupils write compositions, 
telling what they have learned about each ob- 
ject : 

GOLD. 

Gold, the most precious of metals, is found 
in many parts of the earth. It is a compara- 
tively soft and heavy metal. A grain of gold, 
the size of a pin's head, can be beaten out to 
cover a wide space ; and a fine, gold wire will 
sustain a weight of five hundred pounds. The 



64: Common School English. 

color of gold is a beautiful yellow. When it 
comes from the mine, mixed with rock, the ore 
is crushed to a powder and the gold separated 
from it by the use of quick-silver. Next, the 
gold is worked into bullion and sent to the mint 
to be coined. A great deal of gold is used by 
jewelers in the manufacture of rings, pins, 
bracelets, watches, etc. The weight of gold is 
from nineteen to twenty times that of water. 

SHEEP. 

Sheep are of great use to man. Male sheep 
are called rams; female sheep, ewes; and young 
sheep, lambs. The wool, which covers the 
bodies of sheep, keeps them warm in cold 
weather. Some sheep have long, twisted horns 
and are very vicious. The long-tailed sheep have 
fat tails, which are often fastened to boards to 
keep them from dragging on the ground. The 
black-faced sheep are very tenacious of life. 
The wool of sheep is very valuable. From it, 
we make clothing. The skins of sheep give us 
leather. Sheep, also, give us mutton. They 
run in herds and feed mostly upon grass. 

TIN. 

Tin has been in use in the world for a very 



Oral Information. 65 

long time. It is of a silvery white color and 
comes out of mines in the earth. Next to 
lead, it is the softest of metals; its weight is 
only seven times that of water. Tin can be 
drawn out into fine wires and beaten into thin 
sheets. It is used, principally, in the manufact- 
ure of tin cups, plates, pans, kettles, pails, etc. 
England is the greatest tin producing country 
in the world. 

CAMELS. 

The home of the camel is in Asia and Africa. 
It has a long neck, small head, big eyes and a 
hump on its back. Some camels have two 
humps on their backs. The camel is used for 
carrying goods across the deserts and is often 
called " the ship of the desevtr Camels have 
cushions on the soles of their feet and are, thus, 
adapted to travel over the sandy deserts. The 
tread of the camel is noiseless and its long eye- 
lashes shade its eyes from the glare of the sun. 
It can close its nostrils, at will, and thus keep 
out of them the drifting sand. The camel has 
a peculiarly formed stomach and can travel for 
many days without water. It can, also, live a 
long time upon very little food. The hump 
5 



6G Common School English. 

upon its back, from which it draws nourishment, 
then becomes much smaller. The camel is gen- 
tle and patient. The Arabs drink its milk and 
eat its flesh. From the hair of camels, we make 
brushes and camel's hair shawls. 

STARCH. 

Starch is a white substance, with hardly any 
smell or taste. It is contained in the seeds of ♦ 
peas and beans, the roots of potatoes, the pith 
of the sago palm, etc. Starch is insoluble in 
cold water, but combines with warm water into 
a sort of jelly. The grains of starch are, gen- 
erally, round or oval and tolerably uniform in 
size. Starch is in common use in laundries, to 
stiffen clothes; it is, also, used in the manufact- 
ure of brandy, grape sugar, etc. Wheat starch 
is sometimes used for medicinal purposes. 



LESSON IX. 

ORIGINAIv DESCRIPTIONS. 

Develop,' through conversational lessons upon 
pictures, original descriptions, like the following: 

THE FIRESIDE. 

Mrs. Smith is a nurse. She has six children: 




THE FIRESIDE. 



Original Descriptions. 69 

Tom, May, Frank, Katie, * Isabel and Bertie. 
Frank is the eldest child and takes charge of the 
house in his mother's absence. Mrs. Smith's 
husband was killed. She has to work for her 
living and take care of her children. One cold, 
winter's night, Mrs. Smith was called to a house 
where a child was very sick. She left the chil- 
dren in care of Frank. He took the baby in 
his arms and told the children to come around 
the fire and he would tell them a story. So, they 
all gathered round him to hear the story. Tom 
sat down by the fireplace. Frank hung the 
baby's clothes upon a peg on the wall. While 
he was telling the story, Katie and May fell 
asleep. WiLLlE HuNT, 

Lincoln Grammar School, San Francisco, Cat. 

The above was written by a pupil during his 
third year at school. The picture of " Puss and 
the Bird " was treated orally in the First Year 
at School. A comparison of tJiat description, 
with the follozving ivritten description, by a third 
year pupil, illustrates the progress possible in the 
niterveninsf time: 



70 Common School English. 

PUSS AND THE BIRD. 

There was once a little girl who had two pets, 
a cat and a canary bird. One warm day, she 
thought that she would hang the cage, in which 
the bird was, out in the sun. As the bird was 
new, puss was not used to it, and the bird the 
same. While the little girl was playing, she for- 
got about the bird, but the cat did not. It was 
trying to kill the bird all the time. When the 
girl came to take the bird in, she found the cat 
and said : " Go into the house." The cat did 
not obey, but tried to get the bird. Do you not 
think the cat was cruel ? 

Frank Brann, 

Lincoln Grammar School^ San Francisco^ Cal. 




PUSS AND THE BIRD, 



FOURTH YEAR AT SCHOOL. 



FOURTH YEAR AT SCHOOL 



Teach the simple uses, in sentences, of tJie 
cojiuna^ in addition to capital letters, the period, 
the question mark, the exclamation point, the quo- 
tation marks and the apostrophe. 

Continue the conversational lessons upon objects 
and pictures, also, the combination and repro- 
duction exercises. 

The division of sentences into complete sub- 
jects and complete predicates ; nouns, their sin- 
gidar, plural and possessive forms are also taught. 

Instruction in the zvriting of friendly letters 
is continued, and social and busiitess forms, and 
business correspondence are introduced. 



76 Common School English. 

LESSON I. 

SUBJECT AND PREDICATE, ETC. 

When we write, girls sing, we make a state- 
ment about girls. Such statements ^x& sentences 
All sentences may be divided into two distinct 
parts ; viz., the part about which something is 
spoken or written, called the subject ; and what 
is written or spoken about the subject, called 
the predicate. The little boy was badly hurt. 
In this sentence, " the little boy," is the complete 
subject, and, " was badly hurt," the complete predi- 
cate. 

Direct pupils to divide each of the following 
sentences into its complete subject and complete 
predicate: 

1. The picture is pretty. 

2. Little Kate was very sick. 

3. Some birds can sing very sweetly. 

4. Boys and girls like to play. 

5. Was the big ship sailing over the sea ? 
W>ite three sentences about horses; three 

about cozvs ; three about dogs ; and three about 
children. 

Make sentences by filling the following 
blanks ; 



Nouns. 77 



1. fly. 

2. run. 

3. Boys 



4. Cows . 

5. sing. 

6. Children . 

7. shines. 

8. The wind . 

9. Do twinkle? 

10. Oh ! the rainbow ! 

Teach that every sentence BEGINS WITH 
A CATITAL LETTER ; that EVERY STATEMENT 
ENDS WITH A PERIOD ; that EVERY QUESTION 
ENDS WITH A QUESTION MARK ; that EVERY 
EXCLAMATION ENDS WITH AN EXCLAMATION 
POINT. 



LESSON II. 

NOUNS. 

Objects are given names, so as to distinguish 
them one from another, when we speak or write 
about them. One object is named a chair ; 
another, a book ; another, a cow. These words, 
chair, book and cow are called namp:-words, 
or NOUNS. 



78 Common School English. 

Pick out the nouns, in the following sentences: 

1. London, England, is the largest city in 
the world. 

2. Pennsylvania produces more coal and 
iron than any other state in the Union. 

3. The Mississippi is the longest river in 
North America. 

4. The Pacific Ocean was discovered by 
Balboa. 

5. America was discovered by Christopher 
Columbus. 

Fill the following blanks with nouns: 

I. was the first President of the United 

States. 

2. Birds build in . ' 

3. Are the ripe ? 

4. Oh ! how brave are the ■ ! 

5. make honey. 



LESSON III. 

SINGUIvAR AND PLURAL FORMS OF NOUNS. 
Boy means one person. When it is used in 
this way, and refers to only one person, or 
thing, it is called THE SIN(;ULAR FORM OF 

THE NOUN. 



Nouns. 79 

Cat, horse, box, dog^ and valley are singular 
nouns. 

The word boys, meaning more than one, is 
termed THE PLURAL FORM OF THE NOUN, 

Cats, horses, boxes, dogs and valleys are 
plural nouns. 

The plural of these nouns is formed, as may 
be seen, by the addition of jt or es to the singu- 
lar, as boy, boys ; box, boxes. 

Write the plural of the following nouns : 

Bird, kiss, house, ball, tax, match, flower, dish, 
bear and bench. 

Write the singular of the following nouns : 

Trees, books, dresses, glasses, chairs, apples, 
girls, carpets, foxes and sashes. 

While the plural of most nouns is formed, as 
illustrated, by the addition of s or es to the 
singular, still, the plural of many nouns is 
formed differently. 

Sometimes, in nouns ending in y, like sky, 
story, lady and balcony, the plural is formed by 
changing thej// into i and adding es; thus, skies, 
stories, ladies and balconies. 

The plural of some nouns endmg in f, or fe, 
like wife, thief, wolf and life, is formed by 
changing the/" ox fe into v and adding es; thus, 
wives, thieves, wolves and lives. 



80 Common School English. 

Write the plural of the following nouns: 
Injury, knife, party, loaf, quality, leaf, beauty, 
shelf, half and duty. 



LESSON IV. 

POSvSBSSIVK FORMS OF NOUNS. 

When, as in the sentence, the boys hat zuas 
lost, we wish to show that the boy oivns or pos- 
sesses the hat, we write an apostrophe and s after 
the singular noun, boy. This sentence simply 
shows that the hat of one boy was lost. If, on 
the contrary, we wish to show that more than 
one boy lost their hats, we write the sentence 
thus : The boys hats were lost. 

The idea of possession, in singular nouns, is 
denoted by adding an apostrophe and s; as, boy, 
boy's. This is called the POSSESSIVE FORM OF 
THE NOUN. 

The idea of possession in plural nouns, is gen- 
erally denoted by adding an apostrophe; as, boys, 
boys.' 

Write the following nouns in sentences, show- 
ing possession : Girl, man, cow, box, horses, 
books, desks, children, men and trees. 



Combination of Sentences. 81 

LESSON V. 

COMBINATION OF SENTENCES. 

Combine the following independent state- 
ments into sentences : 

1. Washington was a great man. 

2. He was a good man. 

3. He was a noble man. 

4. He is called t lie ^'Father of His Country^ 

1. Edgar has a dog. 

2. He has 3. pony. 

3. He has some pigeons. 

4. He lives in the country. 

1. Ribbons are sold in dry goods stores. 

2. They 2.x o, pretty. 

3. They are of different colors. 

4. They are used for trimming. 

1. Charles reads books. 

2. He reads good books. 

3. He reads slozuly. 

4. He reads silently. 

5. He reads to improve his mind. 

1. Grant was an American. 

2. He was a General. 

3. He was brave. 

6 



82 Common School English. 

4. He was successful. 

5. He was also President of the United States. 

Continue this exercise throughout the year. 



LESSON VI. 

FRIENDLY LETTER WRITING. 

Continue to give exercises in the writing of 
friendly letters. Pay particular attention to the 
style of beginning and ending; also to punctuat- 
ing and paragraphing, as illustrated in the fol- 
lowing models : 

Sacramento, Cal., May 17, 1887. 
Dear Frank : 

I arrived here Saturday and cousin Harry 
met me at the depot. 

We have been visiting different places of in- 
terest in the capital city and I am having a fine 
time. 

The Capitol, where they make the laws for 
California, is a big building with beautiful 
grounds. I was there yesterday. It is where 
the Governor has his office. 

I like Sacramento well enough, except the 
climae. It is very hot here in summer and, in 
winter, the river overflows. Good-by. Give 
my love to all. Your brother, 

Joe. 

Frank Taylor^ San Francisco, Cal. 



Friendly Letter Writinc.. 



San Francisco, Cal., May 17, 1887. 
Dear Sister : 

I thought I would write to-day and tell you 
about my visit in the city. 

Auntie and I arrived here safe last Saturday 
morning. We have a pleasant suite of rooms at 
the Palace Hotel. 

I am having a delightful time and wish that 
you were here too. I think that I should rather 
live in San Francisco, because, here, there are 
so many places of amusement. 

We went out to ride yesterday. Oh! Lucy, 
Golden Gate Park is lovely ! We gathered 
shells on the ocean beach and took lunch at the 
Cliff House. 

To-morrow evening, uncle says he will take 
us to the theater. 

I have so much to tell you that I cannot put 
it all upon paper, so you must wait until I get 
home. 

Give my love to mamma and papa, and kiss 
baby for me. Write soon and tell me all the 
news. Your loving sister, 

GUSSIE. 

P. S. How is the bird ? 

Miss Lucy Clai'k^ Sacramento, Cal. 



84 Common School English. 



LESSON VII. 

SOCIAL FORMS. 
Teach the forms of notes of invitation, their 
repHes, and letters of introduction, according to 
the following models : 

NOTE OF INVITATION. 

Miss Abby Stewart requests the pleasure 
of Mr. William Graham's company, at a social 
gathering, next Wednesday evening, at half- 
past eight o'clock. 

gi2 California Street, May 75. 

REPLY. 

Mr. William Graham presents his com- 
pliments to Miss Abby Stewart and accepts, 
with pleasure, her kind invitation for Wednes- 
day evening next. 

7/5 Post Street, May 16. 

LETTER OF INTRODUCTION. 

San Francisco, Cal., May 18, 1887. 
Friend Adams : 

I take pleasure in introducing to you, the 
bearer, Mr. Walter Stone. 

He is an old friend of mine, who is now visit- 
ing your city for the first time. 

For any attention that you can show him, 
during his stay in New York, I shall be espe- 
cially grateful. Yours sincerely, 

Joseph F. Waters. 

Henry P. Adams, 6^2 Broachuay, N. V. 



Letter of Application. 85 

It is not customary to seal letters of intro- 
duction. 

The superscription, or the address upon the 
envelope, should be according to the following 
model : 



Henry (P, Adams^ 
642 Broadway^ 

JNew York City ^ 

Introducing; Mr. Stone AJ T/ 



LESSON VIII. 

BUSINESS FORMS. 
The following is a form of a letter of appli- 
cation, to be taught to pupils: 

LETTER OF APPLICATION. 

[Heading.] 

San Francisco, May 12, 1887. 

[Address, j 

Messrs. J. J. O'Brien & Co., 

[Salutation.] 

Gentlemen: 

[Body.] 

Seeing your advertisement in to-day's Chroni- 



86 Common School English. 

cle, for a salesman, I write to apply for the posi- 
tion. 

I have had some experience in your line of 
business and am sure that I could suit you. 

I enclose letters of recommendation from my 
former employers. 

Hoping that you will favorably consider my 
application and oblige me with an early reply, 
I am, sirs, 

[Subscription.] 

Yours respectfully, 

[Signature.] 

Frank Harris. 
6^ Oak Street. 

Teach the following forms of the bill and 
receipt: 

BILL. 

San Francisco, June i, 1887. 
Mr. Chas. Martin, 

Bought of Wellman, Peck & Co., 

10 lbs. Java Coffee - - - @ 40 $4.00 

5 " Black Tea - - - - " $1.20 .6.00 

12 " White Sugar - - - " .14 1.68 

4 gals. Syrup ------ -S/^^ i-50 



$13.18 
Received Payment, 

Wellman, Peck & Co. 

RI'CEIPTS. 

New York, June i, 1887. 

$375x01) 

Received of Ivison, Blakeman & Co., Three 



A Series of Business Letters. 87 

Hundred Seventy-five and x%V Dollars, on ac- 
count. James Scott. 

San Francisco, June 2, 1887. 
$500. 

Received of William Curtis, Five Hundred 
Dollars, in full of all demands. 

Payot, Upham & Co. 



LESSON IX. 

A SERIES OF BUSINESS I.ETTERS. 

A complete business transaction is shown in 

the following series of letters : 

NO. I. opening business. 

Stockton, Cal., May i, 1887. 
Messrs. Tillman & Bendel, 

San Francisco. 

Gentlemen : 
Having just opened a retail grocery business 
in this city, with a cash capital of five thousand 
dollars ($5,000), I shall be glad to trade with 
your house, if we can agree as to terms. 

For evidence as to my business standing, I 
beg to refer you to the Bank of California. 
What are the best terms you can give me ? 

Yours truly, 
James R. Roman. 



Common School English. 



NO. 2. CREDIT ESTABLISHED. 

San Francisco, Cal, May 4, 1887. 
Mr. James R. Roman, 

Stockton, Cal. 

Dear Sir: 

Yours of May i is received and contents noted. 

Your references are entirely satisfactory and 

we shall be pleased to sell you any goods in our 

line, upon the following terms : half cash and 

the balance in thirty days. 

We enclose our price list and await an early 
order from you. Respectfully, 

Tillman & Bendel. 

NO. 3. GOODS ORDERED. 

Stockton, Cal, May 6, 1887. 
Messrs. Tillman & Bendel, 

San Francisco. 

Dear Sirs : 
Please send me, via. C. P. R. R., — 
50 cases Coal Oil, 
10 bbls. C. Sugar, 
5 sks. C. R. Coffee, 
30 kits No. I Mackerel, 

Yours respectfully, 
James R. Roman. 

NO. 4. ADVICE OF SHIPMENT, 

San Francisco, Cal., May 10, 1887. 
James R. Roman, 

Stockton. 

Dear Sir: 
We have shipped, this day, according to your 



A Series of Business Letters. 89 



order, goods as per. enclosed bill and shipping 
receipt Very truly yours, 

Tillman & Bendel. 

NO. 5. GOODS RECEIVED. 

Stockton, Cal., May 16, 1887. 
Tillman & Bendel, 

San Francisco. 

Dear Sirs: 

Yours of the loth inst., with bill and shipping 
receipt, came duly to hand. 

The merchandise was received in good con- 
dition. 

Enclosed find check, on Bank of California, 
for one hundred seventy-five dollars ($I75)' 
which amt. you will please credit to my acct. 

Yours truly," 

James R. Roman. 

NO. 6. PAYMENT ACKNOWLEDGED. 

San Francisco, Cal, May 20, 1887. 
James R. Roman, 

Stockton. 

My dear Sir : 
We enclose receipt for one hundred seventy- 
five dollars ($175), with which sum you have 
been duly credited. 

Yours very respectfully, 
Tillman & Bendel. 



90 Common School English. 

L E wS S O N X . 

ORAIv INFORMATION. 

In conversational lessons, give the following 
information about eagles, elephants, hemp, lions 
and iron. Then, have pupils write compositions 
upon each subject : 

EAGLES. 

Eagles, of which there are several kinds, have 
rather short, curved beaks, broad wings, strong 
legs and sharp, strong claws. The white- 
headed, or bald eagle, of America is a large, 
beautiful bird. It has white feathers upon its 
head, neck and tail, while the rest of its plumage 
is of a dark brown color. Its bill, legs and feet 
are of a bright yellow. It is a bird of prey and 
likes to eat fishes, which it steals from the fish- 
hawks. The eagle, also, feeds upon wild ducks, 
and, sometimes, carries away lambs and pigs. 
Generally, the eagle builds its nest in some tall 
tree, near a lake, or river. The eagle can fly 
very high ; is celebrated for its strength and 
courage, and is commonly called the " King of 
Birds." Sometimes, the eagle lives a hundred 
years. 



Oral Information. 91 

elephants. 

The elephant is the largest of all land ani- 
mals. Its home is in Asia and Africa, where it 
is seen in herds. The skin of the elephant is 
very tough. It has a big head, small eyes, a 
short, thick neck, long, wide ears and stout legs. 

An elephant is, usually, eight or ten feet 
high and weighs about ten thousand pounds. 
The elephant has two, enormous tusks, from 
which comes the ivory, used for making combs, 
knife-handles, chess-men, billiard-balls, etc. Its 
long and limber trunk is used as a hand by the 
elephant. It takes food and water into its 
mouth through this wonderful trunk, with which 
it can also pick up a pin, or uproot a big tree. 
Elephants eat leaves and plants. They are 
very fond of sugar-cane and the milk of the 
cocoa-nut. The elephant is, naturally, a harm- 
less animal, but dangerous if abused. It lives 
to be one or two hundred years old; is easily 
tamed, intelligent and of great service to man. 

HEMP. 

Hemp is a plant, a native of Asia, which 
thrives, also, in temperate climates in Europe 
and America. The plant grows to be from three 



92 Common vSchoot- English. 

to twenty feet high, according to the soil and 
climate. The stalk is filled with soft pith. At 
the proper time, it is steeped in water and 
beaten, so as to loosen the bark from the fibers. 
Then, it is carded, spun and given to the rope 
maker or weaver. Hemp is very tough and 
pliable. The finest kind of hemp is used in 
making cloth ; the coarsest kind, in making sails 
and ropes. The seed of hemp is used as birds' 
food. We, also, get oil from the seed, which is 
used in making paint, varnish and soap. In 
Russia, the oil is burned in lamps. 

LIONS. 

The lion, called the " King of Beasts," inhab- 
its the forests and plains of Asia and Africa. 
He is as long as an ox but not so tall. The 
lion feeds upon the antelope and other animals. 
His color is of a pale, dingy yellow; his tail is 
long, with a tuft of black hair at the end; and 
his head and neck are clothed with a flowing 
mane. The lion has a large head and, when 
angry, his eyes flame, his mane stands erect, he 
shows his teeth, thrusts out his long, sharp 
claws and presents a most terrible appearance. 
With a stroke of his paw, the lion can crush 
the head of a big buffalo and, so great is his 



Oral Information. 93 

strength, he can carry away a man as easily as a 
cat can carry away a mouse. The Hon rests 
and sleeps through the day and hunts his prey 
at night. His roar is awful. The lion is a 
savage, but noble-looking animal and, generally, 
lives to be thirty or forty years of age. 

IRON. 

Iron is the most useful of metals. It is the 
lightest of common metals except tin. It is 
very hard and tough, but can be drawn out into 
a wire as fine as a human hair. Iron is abund- 
ant in nature, but is always found mixed with 
some other substance. From wrought iron, we 
make steel, — the most elastic of all metals ; it is 
used for edged tools, etc. Cast-iron is converted 
into wrought iron by a melting process, called 
''blooming." Iron is an important factor in the 
building of railroads and steam-ships. It is 
extensively used in the manufacture of guns, 
cannons, plows, etc. The magnetical proper- 
ties of iron give it an especial value, enabling 
the mariner to steer across the ocean, also, aid- 
ing the land traveler and the miner. The load- 
stone communicates its powers to bars of iron, 
or steel, when placed in contact with them. In 
medicine, iron is valuable as a tonic. 



94 Common School English. 



LESSON XI. 

TAIvES FOR REPRODUCTION. 

Have pupils reproduce, in their own language, 
the following tales : 

THE WONDERFUL SOUP POT. 

Effie was a poor, but pious little girl. She 
lived with her mother, in a lonely cottage, in 
the woods. One day, there was nothing in the 
house to eat. So, Effie went out to look for 
some food to save her dear mother from starving. 
She had not gone far, when she met a gray- 
haired old man who looked like Santa Claus. 
He was sorry for her. " Take this little iron 
pot," he said, " and, whenever you are hungry, 
say, ' boil, little pot,' and it will fill with good 
soup. After it has cooked all you wish you 
must say, ' stop, little pot,' and it will cease to 
boil." Effie thanked the kind, old man and 
took the pot home to her mother. Their 
troubles were now over, for they could have hot, 
rich soup as often as they pleased. The poor 
people for miles around used to come to the 
cottage to get some soup out of the wonderful, 
little, iron pot. 



Tales for Reproduction. 95 

star dollars. 
A boy, whose parents were dead, was so poor 
that he had nothing left but the clothes on his 
back and a loaf of bread in his hand. Putting 
his trust in God, he went out into the world. 
He traveled over hills and through valleys until 
he met an old woman. She begged him for 
something to eat. He gave her the whole loaf 
of bread and went on his journey. Next, he 
met three, little children crying and shivering 
with the cold. They prayed for some clothes 
to make them warm. So, to one child, he gave 
his hat ; to another, his coat ; and, to another, 
his shoes and stockings. It was now growing 
dark and the boy came to a big forest. He 
was cold and hungry and had hardly any clothes 
left to cover his body. But, when he went into 
the forest, a shower of silver dollars came down 
from the sky. They were shaped like stars and 
were sent by God, to the boy, to reward him 
for his goodness. He had a warm supper and 
bed that night, in a cabin in the woods. All 
the rest of his life, he lived in wealth and happi- 
ness. 

baby's sail on the brook. 

Bessie Gray was a good, little girl, who always 



96 Common School English. 

obeyed her parents. Her baby brother was just 
learning to walk. Mrs. Gray went out, one day, 
and left him in Bessie's care. *' I'll try to make 
it pleasant for Tommy," said Bessie. " Yes, do 
my dear, and when I come back I'll give you a 
new dress for your doll," answered her mamma. 
Baby was cross that day and Bessie did not 
know what to do to amuse him. She took him 
in his carriage down to the brook, near the 
house. Tommy did not like the ride and began 
to cry. Then, Bessie thought she would give 
him a sail. So, she got a tub and, tying a rope 
to the handle, put it in the brook and lifted 
baby into it. He looked pleased. Bessie took 
the end of the rope in her hand and walked 
along the bank, pulling the tub after her and 
singing a merry song. But, Tommy could not 
sit still and soon upset the tub and fell into the 
water. A man heard the children scream and 
came and took baby out of the water, which 
was not deep. Bessie, then, took him home to 
dry his wet clothes and mamma told her that 
she must not give baby any more sails on the 
brook. 

SELFISH HARRY. 

Harry lived in the country. He was a bright, 



Talks for Reproduction 97 

but selfish boy. When he had any candy, he 
wished to eat it all and not to share it with his 
brother and sister. One day, his mother gave 
him some jelly and told him to divide it with 
his sister Amy and his brother Charlie. In- 
stead of obeying his mother, Harry hid himself 
in the barn and ate all the jelly. His sister 
called to him, but he did not answer her. When 
he came out of the barn. Amy told him that she 
and Charlie had been eating iced-cream and 
strawberries and cake. " We've had a splendid 
time and looked everywhere for you, but could 
not find you," she said. Then, Harry was 
much ashamed to think how selfish he had been 
and how much he had lost, by not obeying his 
mother. 

THE MISCHIEVOUS PARROT. 

Sam, a colored man, was once a cook on a 
ship. He saved some money and opened a 
coffee house on the water front, where all the 
ships and steamers land. Sam had a parrot 
named Jack. He was a big bird with red and 
green feathers and could talk very well. Jack 
used to sit in his cage, above the door of the 
coffee house, and call out to people who passed 
that way : " Hot coffee ! Who'll have some 



I 



98 Common School English. 

coffee? Step inside and get some. Only ten 
cents a cup." His master had taught him to 
speak these words, so as to make business for 
the coffee house. Sometimes, Jack would say 
words he had learned himself and seemed to 
like to make mischief A man once left his 
horse and cart standing on the wharf near the 
water and went into the coffee house. While 
he was there, drinking his coffee, Jack cried out 
to the horse : " Back, sir ! Back ! Back, I say ! " 
The horse thought his master was talking to 
him and so he backed until the cart went over 
the edge of the wharf and the horse fell into 
the water and was almost drowned, when some 
men pulled him ashore. Jack, the mischievous 
parrot, after playing this trick, was not per- 
mitted to perch above the door any longer and 
his cage was taken into the coffee house. 



LESSON XII. 

COMPOSITION. 

Continued conversational lessons on pictures 
will give results, like the following : 
grandpa's darling. 
It is a pleasant, old farm-house, with gable 




(;kandpa's darling. 



Composition. 101 



windows and an old-fashioned barn. To this 
farm-house, little Violet Grey likes to come and 
spend the long, summer months with her 
grandpa and grandma. Violet is a pretty girl, 
with blue eyes, golden hair and rosy cheeks. 
One day, just before sunset, she and her grandpa 
went into the barn. While Violet was playing 
around, grandpa sat down upon a big squash 
beside some water-melons and began to husk 
the corn. Violet climbed the ladder to the hay- 
loft and found a dozen eggs. She put them 
into her hat and went down the ladder. " Oh ! 
grandpa, look at the eggs in my hat ! " said 
Violet. Grandpa seemed pleased and told her 
to take them into the house to grandma to make 
a cake for dinner. Violet has on a white apron 
and a red dress. If she break the eggs, she 
will soil her clothes. It is a warm day and 
grandpa has taken off his coat. His yellow 
vest is open and he has on a pair of blue over- 
alls. He owns a farm near San Jose. Violet 
and her cousin like to romp in the fields and 
pick wild flowers. When vacation is over, 
Violet will be sorry to leave grandpa and 
grandma and return to her home in the city. 

Adne Furness, 
Oak Street Prhnary School^ San Francisco^ CaL 



PURE ENGLISH! 

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1 Vol I'^mo. CMoth Pi'ioc, !t(i1.00. 



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W<n*(ls and Phrases — Comprising objectionable 
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